Internal combustion engine



June 6, 1939. P. MANlscALcO INTERNAL COIVIBUS'I'IOI ENGINE rra@ Filed May 27, 1937 June 6, 1939 P. MANlscALcQ INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed May 27, 1937 4 sheets-sheet 2 ,Fler

June 6, 1939- 'P. MANlsALco y INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed May 27, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 6, 1939 l|= MANlscALco INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed May 27, 1937 fl 4 sheen-sheet 4 v Effe/Pala?" i v t Patented June 6, l1939 l UNITED STATES PATENT oI-"Flcla:

l 2,161,069 l u INTERNAL COMBUSTIN ENGINE Pietro Maniscalco, Toledo, Ohio A Application May 27, 1937, Serial No. 145,078

9 Claims.

. This invention relates to an improved internal combustion engine. A

One of the objects of thisinvention is to provide an internal combustion engine of the twocycle type which comprises a pluralityv of sets of cylinders, each set including a combustion cylinder anda precompression cylinder, all mounted in line, and using only one crank shaft and one cam shaft in operating all of said cylinders.-

l0 Another object of this invention is to provide suchan engine wherein each precompression cylinder ,is positioned at a slight advance of stroke relative to its companion combustion cylinder in the set.

These and various other objects and advan-` tagesvare attained with this invention, as will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with thev accompanying drawings illustrating this invention in its preferred form, it being apparent that various other forms and modifications may beresorted to for carrying out the objects and purposes of this 35 i Fig. 7 is a horizontalsectional view, taken onl I line 'I-'l of Fig..6. Q

'I'his invention embodies an improvement over the internal combustion engine disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,058,705,l granted October 27,

In the engine disclosed in my said prior patent the precompression cylinder and its companion combustioncylinder are connected at an angle to each other, substantially in a vV-shape. In the V45 present invention illustrated herein the precompression cylinders as well as the combustion cylinders are all mounted in line, and their piston rods are all Vconnected to the same'crank shaft, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. likewise, only one 50A cam shaft, provided with a plurality-of cams thereon, is needed herein for operating the intake valves of all the combustion cylinders and j 'all the precompression cylinders.

" In.the drawings my improved engine is illus- ,55 trated as comprising four sets of cylinders 'I5 and I5', I6 and I6', I1 and I1', and I8 and I8'. 5

The cylinders arise from a crank case I9, and a cylinder head 20 is removably mounted upon said case and cylinders. Piston rods 2I and 2 I', 22 and 22', 23 and 23', and 24 and 24', are pivoted, to the pistons I5 and I5', I6 and I6', I'l and 10 Il', and I8 and I8', as best shown in Figs. 1 and 5. At their lower ends these pistonA rods engage, respectively, the journal portions 25 and 25', 26 and 26', 2l and 21', and 28 and 28' of the crank shaft 29. 15

As illustrated in.Figs. 1 and 2, the crank shaft is arranged and has its journal portions positioned so that the journal portion for each piston rod of a precompression cylinder is placed ata slight advance, approximately 15 to 20, in the 20 direction of travel, ahead of the journal portion for the piston rod of its companion combustion cylinder; so that the precompression cylinder/. piston of each set. will have a denite advance of stroke relative to the piston of its com- 26 panion combustion cylinder. In this engine which has four sets of cylinders and pistons, each set is positioned 90 in advance of the succeeding set, as illustrated.

The two cylinders II and II' of one set, and 30 likewise the two cylinders I2 and I 2' of the next` set, etc., are operatively connected, respectively, by-storage chambers 3l, 32, etc. These storage chambers are conveniently provided in the cylinder head 20 and said chambers are'connected 35 at one end, respectively, thru ports and 36 with cylinders I I' and I2', said ports being closed by valve 'elements 31 and 38 having stems 39 and 40 which are slidable inv nuts 4I and 42, respectively, and urged by springs 43 and 44 to the 40 closed position. Said, nuts and valves are adjustable, and 4each spring holds the valve element closed until the fuel mixture is sufliciently compressed in the precompression cylinder to .force the valve open, whereupon the mixture passes 45 into the storage chamber. As shown in Fig.` 6, each of said storage chambers is connected at its other end thru a port 4.5 with the combustion cylinder, which is closed vby a valve element 46 having a head 41 on its stem provided with a 50 suitable spring 48 'to urge the valve to its closed position.

An intake manifold 50 receives the fuelvmixture thru a vconnection or neck 5I from suitable fuel mixing means, not shown herein. Said man- 5| ifold 58 has a pair of branches 58',.each of which communicates with an inlet chamber 52 provided in the cylinder head 28. Each inlet chamber is enlarged at its inner end, as shown in Fig. 7, where it communicates thru a pair of ports 53 and 54 with a pair of precompression cylinders, as shown in Fig. 6 by cylinders I I and |2'. Said ports 53 and` 54`are closed by valve elements 55 and 56, respectively, having heads 51 and'58 on their stems, being urged by suitable springs to the closed position.

The cylinders are all mounted in line, and the inlet valves 46, 55, 56, etc., of the several cylinders are opened mechanically, by` the use of one cam shaft 68, which is provided with a cam for each of said inlet valves. As shown in Fig. 5, cam shaft 68 has a cam 6| thereon adapted to actuate a rod 62 which includes means 63 to adjust the rod for length. At its upper end this rod actuates a lever 64 pivoted on a shaft 65 mounted by bracket means 66 on the cylinder head. Said lever engages and actuates the head 41 on the stem of inlet valve 46 of the combustion cylinder I|, so as to open said valve at the proper time for the admission of a fuel charge to cylinder |I, thru the operation of timing gears 61 and |58A which are mounted on crank shaft 29 and on cam shaft 68, respectively. Said cam shaft may `be provided in two portions, as indicated in Fig. 3,

including the portion 65 associated with cylinders II, II', I2', and I2; and the portion 65' associated with cylinders I 3', I3', I4', and I4.

For` the sake of simplicity, the several camoperated rods 62, and likewise the several levers 64 for operating the valves of the combustion cylinders, are made alike. Similarly, the rods 12 and also the levers 14 for the precompression cylinders are like said rods 62 and levers 64 in construction, as illustrated by Figs. 4 and 5. Each rod 'I2 operates a lever 14 which is pivoted on shaft 65 and actuates head 51 on the stem of valve 55, to open said valve at the proper time.

An exhaustport 15provided in the peripheral r wall of the combustion cylinder communicates thru a branch portion 'I6 with exhaust manifold 11. Said port 15and the operating mechanism for valve 46 are so arranged and timed that the valve starts opening before exhaust port 15 is' fully uncovered by the descending piston, thereby assisting the piston in clearing dead gases from said cylinder. When port 15 is next closed by the ascending piston I5, then the combustion cylinder II will be filled with a clean fuel mixture from storage chamber 3|; whereupon lever 64 raises from valve head 41, and spring 48 closes valve 46. Piston I5 then completes its upward stroke and the highly compressed fuel mixture is fired by the action of a spark plug 18 mounted in the upper end of cylinder II, whereby piston I5 is forcedl downward and the burnt gases are ejected thru port 15 into the exhaust manifold.

AA safety valve is provided for each storage chamber to prevent accumulation of excessive pressure therein. With the two adjoining chambers 3| and 32, as shown in Figs. 4, 6, and 7, this comprises a pair of channels or bypasses 88 and 80' which curve and converge rearwardly vfrom said chambers 3| and 32, and have ports`8| therein, connected with vertical bores 82 and 82', provided with a pair of valve elements 83 adapted to close said ports 8| thru springs 84 and 84' positioned on the valve stems 85 which are slidable in nuts 86 threaded in said bores 82 Iinto inlet channel 52. The tension of the spring and the action of `the valve are adjustable by manipulating the nut 86 which is threaded in the bore.

The cooling means in this engine' includes jackets 88 having interconnected cooling chambers therein arranged around the cylinders, said chambers communicating thru channel means 88 with cooling chambers 89 in the cylinder head..

A hot water return pipe 98 conducts the hot water from said cooling chambers to suitable radiator means (not shown) Means for controlling the feeding of the fuel mixture includes control valves 92, 92', etc., which are provided in the storage chambers 3|, 32, etc.,

to definitely control the flow of fuel mixture thru each of these chambers to its associated combustion cylinder. A link 93 extends from the stem of each of said valves to an operating bar 94 which is connected thru a link 95 with the throttle control rod 96, whereby a. throttle .link 91 is operated to actuate the throttle lever 98 and thereby the throttle valve 99 which is provided in the connecting neck 5| leading to the intake manifold. These several control valves 92 are thus synchronized with the throttle valve 99, and upon operating the control rod 96 said valve 99 and ,all the control valves-92 will be operated in unison.

I claim: l

1. In an internal combustion engine, a plurality of sets of cylinders, each set including a precompression cylinder and a combustion cylinder also a conduit connecting the two cylinders, all the cylinders being mounted in line and having the precompression cylinders positioned in pairs of two adjoining cylinders, a spring-held valve for admitting fuel charge above a certain pressure from a precompression cylinder to the conduit, a tappet valve for admitting fuel charge from the conduit to its combustion cylinder, an

intake manifold and a branch conduit for conducting fuel charge therefrom to each two adjoining precompression cylinders, a pair of inlet ports leading from each branch conduit to said two adjoining cylinders and provided each with a tappet valve, Va cam shaft and means actuated thereby for operating all of said tappet valves, a piston in each cylinder, and one crank shaft and piston rods operatively connected thereto and to all of said pistons.

2. The subject matter set forth in claimv l, wherein the conduit between the cylinders of a set is arranged to serve as a storage chamber and is provided with a control valve therein.

. 3. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, wherein the spring-held valve in the conduitV is adjustable for regulating the limit of pressure at which the fuel charge will pass fromthe precompression cylinder into said conduit, and a control valve is provided in the conduit for regulating the fiow of said charge therethru to the combustion cylinder. v

4. In an internal combustion engine, aplurality of sets of cylinders, each set including a precompression cylinder and a combustion cylinder also a conduit connecting the two cylinders, a valved port leading from each of said conduits to the combustion cylinder, all the cylinders Abeing mounted in line and having the precompression cylinders arranged in pairs of two adjoining'cylinders, an intake manifold having branches. inlet .1-egechamberseconnected to thebranches,.each chamber vbeing provided at its endwith two valved portsleading into a pair of two adjoining precompression cylinders, a by-pass provided with safety valve means connecting each inlet chamber with a vconduit which connects the' two cylinders of a set, to prevent excess pressure of the charge in said conduit, a cam shaft and nl eans actuated thereby for operating all of said valves,

a piston in each cylinder, and a crank shaft and piston rods pivotally connected to said shaft and to all of said'pistons.

5. In -an internal combustion engine, a plurality of sets of cylinders, each set including a precompression cylinder and acombustion cylinder also a charge storing and conveying chamber -in, the cylinder head connection the' two cylinders, all the cylinders-being mounted in line and having the precompression cylinders arranged in pairs of two adjoining cylinders, inletvchambers in the cylinder head and means conducting fuel charge thereto, each inlet chamber being enlarged at its inward end and provided with two valved ports extending to a pair of two adjoining cylinders, a valve opening with a spring-held Avalve extending fromeach precompression cylinder to a storage chamber, a valved -port extending from each storage chamber to a combustion cylinder, safety valve means includingfa by-pass extending from each storage chamber and a channel connecting the by-pass with said inlet chamber, also an adjustable spring-held valve in said channel whereby to regulate the limit of pressure oi' the chargein said storage chamber, cam shaft means for actuating the valves on the cylinder ports, pistons in said cylinders having piston rods thereon, anda crank shaft operatively connected to all of said piston rods.

6. The subject matter set forth in claim 5,-

wherein the spring-held valve in said storage chamber is adjustable for regulating the adniission of fuel charge 'to said chamber, and a control valve is provided in said chamber vfor regulating the flow of said charge therethru to the combustion cylinder.

7. In an internal combustion engine, a plurality of sets of cylinders, each set including a precompression cylinder and a combustion cylinder also 'a conduit connecting the two cylinders, all the cylinders being'mounted in lineand having the precompression admitting fuel charge above a certain pressure from' the preeompression cylinder to the conduit, a mechanical valve for admitting fuel charge from the. conduit to its combustion cylinder, an

cylinders positioned in pairs of ktwo adjoining cylinders. a spring-held valve for intake manifold "anda branch. conduitl for conducting fuel charge'therefrom to each tw'dadjoin-HA ing precompression cylinders, a pair of inlet ports leading from each branch conduit to said adjoining cylinders and provided each witha mechanical valve, a cam shaft and means actuated there-l by for operating all of said mechanical valves,l

a piston in each cylinder, and a single crank shaft andv piston rods connected to its lcrank portions and toall of said pistons, said crank portions being in sets having the portion for the precompression piston'placed in advance, in the direction of rotation, of the portion for the combustion piston of the set, to. provide a definite ladvance of stroke o f the former piston relative to the latter piston.

8. In an internalcombustlon engine, a pluralityof'sets of cylinders, each set including a precompression cylinder and a combustion cylinder and a conduit connecting them, all thev cylinders being mounted in one line, an automatic valve between each precompression cylinder and conduit to open above a certain pressure, a mechanically operated valve between each conduit and combustion cylinder, a control valve within each conduit, to definitely control the ilow'of fuel mixture therethru, a piston in each cylinder and a piston rod thereon,

a single crank shaft having sets of crank portions connected to the piston rods of the sets of cylinders, the crank portion for the precompressionwherein each of said conduits has 'a by-pass which is equipped with a safety-valve and which connects the conduit with the inlet part on the companion compression cylinder, to prevent excess I pressure in the conduit. n

` Pm'mo MANIscALco. 

